New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-21
OUR RIGHTS IN BEHRING SEA
AN HISTORIC AND UNDIspUrED TITLE.

seizure OF the British Columbian schooners in Behrins
Sea- has been widely circulated during the last week. bu
that report conveys wholly impression wheI
calling attention to the character Of tho British Min
| sters point and Mr.. Bayards alleged admission. MI
West it is sald represented to Mr. Bayard the unust
able nature OF the seizures Mr. Bayard cOntended thai
the United States had obtained right to Behring Sea
| from the Russians. Mr.. West then pointed out tina
when Russia had Alaska the United States Government
had contested claims similar to those 1t was now making
which Mr. Bayard admitted. Mr.. West however, In his
dispatch to the Imperial Government, says that Mt
Bayard was very conclatOry."
The claim which Minister alludes is that pro-
test filed In 1924 by Government relative TO inc
waters OF the North Pacific Ocean, and that ocean only
II had nothing whatever to do with the present contro
versy, and the following sketch will demonstrate the
truth OF my statement Let me recite few items OF
history and authentic record:
In renewing the charter OF the American Com
pany the Emperor Alexander, September A. 1871, pub
shed all the Powers Of the civilized world AN edct or
ukase" which declared the absolute dominion OF inc
Russian all Russian-Ameroan territory anu
waters bays What the Car meant by this edco
OF September 1921 was then vel understood oy the
Powers of the earth as IT is now to Great Britain in
especial 1t was clear and integibe, TOT as carry 40
1866 chart OF the Kamchatkan (Behrng) Sea ana 'ne
North Pacific Tor EASTERN Ocean made by .order Oh
the St. Petersburg Academy OF sciences 1t bears the
date 1853 and is to be found in Mullers voyages ~
Discoveries faites par les Russes 10 long des cocs W
Mer Glaciae ct rOccan Oriental etc. Als'ci"'
1866 In 1905 finely engraved series OF charts oi w
world was published in immense obohg iono.''
London by Thomas Kitchin, sr., aided by captains vi ~
Royal Navy In this volume is chart when accuracy
bounds and desenates the waters known a Behrhs
Sea and the North Pacific Ocean; but on 1t behrhs oea
is termed the Sea OF Kamchatka other"lso 'io
nomenclature OF land and water in 1905 Is exactly ~
stands on our charts to-day
This early authoritative map OF Behring eea anu "9
North Pacific Ocean shows those waters In their lahueu
,d ina, "a CLEARLY and quito as accurately as our best
bydrooranhic charts do at the present moment "heh
therefore sixteen years later, Alexander asser'ou W
supreme authority OF Russia over TINS sea- ~ r,
fectly we'll understood In the British Coloh"i 00 80
what he meant and what he was doing NO pio'os' :.
made against this authority OF Russia over the "
Behring Sea then. and none has ever peen 'n''' 80
until last year by any civilized Power wna'eSer -
p-ita least OF ALL But in 1922 the RUSSIANS theui
sclves AZ well az British and American traders ucso
this strict letter OF prohibition TO foreign -,
abated as far as II related TO Alaskan por's vi ''o
Pacific Ocean, or rather those on tho northwest zoo
that international high sea- Thereupoh Iloui" ~,
that end were made by the Emperor Alexander III li9
taso ~ August 1921 announcing treaty between '"e
Tr,tod statcs and Russia and his ukase OF FEBRUARY,
1923 announcing a similar agreement pc'"eo'
Britain and Russia, well as defining 'he pouiu'
,,.oop british North America and Russian America
which stands on the map today In all Vi '"'' -,
snondence and the full detail OF its proclamation !
not nnd the slightest reference made oy 'no
or Great Britain asking any rights or privileges III Tue
Coo NJ Kamchatka Tor Behrng Seal yet poth ro"ei.
kcy "a well then "a they do to-day exactly what anu
where the watery limits OF Behring sea were
In tho bright light OF this unquestioned authority OF
Russia over the waters Of Behrng Sea from lao "P "
the hour OF its partial ccssion to us In leo inc
mon, ~ Russia drew I'm explicit terms that hrl he Va
.1f,-f.i nj these
:, "a line Of separation between her slDerlah-
vacba,kan sbores and ours OF Alaska saying III enec
- an FAR Won can come toward our POSSESSIONS n"u Nv
further" We turn this treaty OF cessloh-our o" Va
Alaska from Russla-and we find that uis pelas'c
boundary line runs in southwcstery direction so as 70
include in our grant the westward island OF the Aeuah
chain; so that the maritime territory thus acquired by
tho tu,tcd states is bounded the north east and south
bv tho mainland and the Alcutan Islands, and on the
ives; bv Asatic waters belonging 10 Russia. This, them
Is tho territory which was purchased ana pad ior' ana
which, with the mainland extends from one boundary 70
the othcr and could with much reason ana pro
prety surrender he land the east rs this water and
It's islands the west Here Is the boundary Us esaD
lishod; in tho treaty stipulation 1t reads;
.,o,er Tho western limit within which the terri
tories dominion conveyed arc contained passes 'hTonsh
PGn, neh5ns aSs initial point proceed. thence
SrSa Sao sShf hs point & the
awrehee and ne .n 2ony %, IS S
,,tc thence from the intersection OF that meridian IN
and tho snd S OF T to Ss as.n
Of on" hEns and ninety ye;. longitude 80 as
Islands east OF that meridian
We accented this partition OF Behrng Sea as final;
o rouaed Il In the presence OF the whole civilized
world without single protest coming from any quarter,
and by the act approved July ~ 1865 10 STAT 2ao,
congress declared follows to our people and those OF
the world:
That the laws United state, relating to CON-
and over ali The mainland Islands and waters OF me territory
f fSsy con SHS Sai ss March
Ammo Domin eighteen hundred Anu shV '0'0"' ~ ~ WV
same may be applicable thereto
Tho Treasury Department has regularly enforced and
carried on, this command OF Congress Whom this treaty
was under discussion in tho Senate Senator sumner SAID
s,cone OF the western boundary OF the territory to DO
purchased:
Starting rom Frozen Ocean the western boundary
the parallel o. o. 80 5' a 20
low where the Connopt1 Of @ nt II proceeds course
nearly through Behrng sS5a %tTy pe ~. e
tsan Of 72o west gtnde ant thence in sonthwester
AoT on S. .s: a5 copper
nc M. q ,. St s2a TS Ss
T 20 the United state, MAKING tho western boundary
Of our country tho dividing limo which separates Asia from
Amsr,es range beside nnumorabio ots and rocks
thero are not less than ny hvo Islands exceeding nrge
6S, IA wien tho srse exceeding ..
part Of Behrns sea mere hsuS more than ninety
miles Ions.
Hero VIC have the chairman OF the Committee On
Foreign Affairs the Senate OF the United states an
nouncng to theenate and TO the world that our western
boundary limo as xed by the treaty the boundary OF
our country tho dividing limo which separates Asia from
America" and asserting that In our part OF Behrins
Sea there arc Ayo considerable islands tho largest Oh
which being moro than ninety-six miles long"
Shall we surrender these plain, selfevident rights 10
any Power big or little and II So why suppose 't''
49, ht y, ours did not enable us las It docs) to drive
tnfamons whiskoy.tradng. rum-deang schooners from
the waters of Bchrng and thus preserve tho bodies
and souls OF nearly 10000 Eskimo inhabitants OF iS
mainland coast and islands from the vest dcoauchery
and also to sayo thereby the lives OF our own people WHO
- otour,inc among these natives, traders salmon